Automatic railway switch



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A ATUOHATIC RAILWAY vSWITCH Filed July 51,- 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1` i1 Y OS W o f R W N C; a

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C. S. EPPLEY I ATUOMATIC RAILWAY swf'rci A 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5l 1924 mir,

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C. S. EPPLEY ATUOMAT-IC RAILWAY SWITCH 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 51, 1924` Wm Y ' @gus A I a7 mummy Patented Aug. 17, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. EPPLEY, F YORK, PENNSYLVANA, ASSIGNOR TO SELF-ACTING SLVI'I'CH CO., 0F YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, A CRPORA'IION 07F DELAWARE.

AUTOMATIC nAiLv/'AY SWITCH.

Application filed .Tuly 31,

This invention relates to improvements in railway switches and more particularly to the electric motor operated type such as are employed in throwing the switches of an electric railway.

One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide a switch of the type mentioned which will be positive in its action, simple in construction, and not liable to a disarrangement of its component parts.

The ordinary automatic switch presents, among other disadvantages, that ofso forcibly throwing the switch point as to frequently cause a rebound of the point to a position where it is either liable to be dam-- aged by the wheels passing over it or liable to cause derailment of the cars. Furthermore, where a switch point is suddenly and forcibly thrown, in inclement weather, water, sleet, and mud are liable to be thrown intol the air and bespatter passengers or pedestrians standing beside the track. Therefore, it is another important object of the present invention to provide automatic switch operating mechanism so constructed that the movement of the switch point to either of its positions of adjustment is ef-V fected in a positive manner, the movement of the switch point being, however, retarded to such extent as to prevent a sudden throwing of the point and means being likewise provided for preventing rebound of Vthe point after it has been thrown to the desired position of adjustment.

ln the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the automatic switch operating mechanism embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line S of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of a portion f the mechanism.

Figure 6 is a side elevation in detail, of portion of the mechanism.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view step bearing 15, with a gear 18.

i924. serial No. 729,353.

through a retarding means which is embodied in the invention.

The mechanism embodying the invention is housed with a casing which is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and which comprises side walls 2, a bottom' 3, and end walls el, the casing being closed at its top by a removable cover indicated by the numeral 5. The numeral 6 indicates a partition wall within the casingdividing the interior of the casing into compartments 7 and 8. The compartment 7 houses an electric motor 9 and certain control switches which will hereinafter be described, and the compartment 8 houses the mechanical part ofthe structure, which preferably operates in oil so as to insure of thorough lubrication, itV being for this reason that the motor and the said switches on one hand, and the mechanical part of the structure on the other hand, are housed in independent compartments.

Mounted withinthe compartment 8 isa 'base 10 which su uorts an u standing edestal 11 and a pair of spaced pedestals 12. A. shaft 13 is journaled at one end in a step bearing 14 provided in the pedestal 11 and at its opposite end is journale'd in a similar step bearing. 15 upon the partition wall 6. rlhe numeral 16 indicates a sleeve which is fixed tothe shaft' 13 as, for example, by ya set screw 17, and this sleeve is provided at its end which is located next adjacent the A short shaft 19 is journaled through the partition wall 6 and has its ends projecting into the compartments 7 and 8.

Upon that end of the shaft 19 which projects into the compartment- 8, there is fixed a gear 2O which is of less diameter than the gear 18 and which meshes with the latter gear. A gear 21 isv fixed upon the other end of the shaft which projects into the compartment 7 and meshes with a gear 22 fixed upon the shaft 23 of the motor 9,'the gear 22 being of less diameter than the gear 21.v By this reducing gea-rV system, motion is im-y parted to the shaft 13 in the operation of the motor 9. The lnumeral 24 indicates in general a thrust bearing, one member 25 of which rests against the base of the pedestal 11 and surroundsthe end of the shaft 18 which is jcurnaled in the step bearing 11i, and the other member 26 of which bearing is fixed upon the said shaft, bearing balls 27 vbeing interposed between the two members and 26.

The bore of the sleeve 16 is, for a portion of its length, increased in diameter as indicated by the numeral 28, and a sleeve 29 is slidably tted upon the shaft 13 and is formed upon diametrically opposite sides, with racks 30 which work slidably in slots 31 in diametrically opposite sides of the sleeve 16, the sleeve 29 fitting likewise' slidably in the enlarged portion 28 of the bore of the said sleeve 16 and the two sleeves 16 and 29 being in this manner connected for rotation in unison. Spaced ears 32 are formed upon diametrically opposite sides of the sleeve 16 adjacent the inner ends of the slots 31, and mounted for rocking movement between the ears at each side of the sleeve are arms 33 provided at their inner ends with rack seg-- ments 34 meshing with the corresponding racks 30, the arms supporting at their outer ends, weights 35 which, in the rotation the shaft 13 and the sleeves 16 and 29 mounted thereon, are thrown outwardly7 by centrifugal force to swing the arms 33 about their pivots and, through the intermeshing of the rack segments 34 and racks 30, effecting adjustment of the sleeve 29 longitudinally of the said shaft 13. A spring 36 is housed within the enlargement 28 of the bore of the sleeve 16 and bears at one end against the inner end of the said enlargement and at its other end against theA adj acent end of the sleeve 29 and this spring, when they mechanism is idle, holds the sleeve 29 shifted toward the right in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, rotation of the shaft 13, as previously stated, resulting in a shifting of the sleeve to the left in the said figures against the tension of the spring 36. A collar 37 is loosely mounted upon a reduced portion 38 of the shaft 13 and engages against a shoulder 39 formed by the reduction in diameter of the shaft. The numeral 40 indicates one member of a thrust bearing which member is loosely mounted upon the reduced end of the sleeve 29 and between this member and the other member of the bearing., indicated by the numeral 41, are interposed bearing balls 42, the said member 41 being likewise loosely mounted upon the reduced portion of the sleeve. The said portion of the 'sleeve is eXteriorly threaded at its Vextremity as indicated by the numeral 43, and fitted thereon is a collar 40 which may be adjusted to suitably engage the bearing member 41. The numeral 44 indicates a yoke, the arms of which are journaled to trunnions 45 upon diametrically opposite sides of the collar 37, the yoke straddling the upper side of the collar and, at its upper side, being provided with a shank 46 vhich is bolted or otherwise secured, as at 47, to the under side of a slide block 48 having grooves 49 in its opposite sides receiving the relatively adjacent edges of guide plates 50 mounted upon the upper end of the pedestals 12, the block being, in this manner, supported for sliding movement. At. this point, it will be understood that when the sleeve 29 is shifted, the slide block 48 will likewise be shifted and in a corresponding direction and a corresponding distance.

Rotatably mounted upon .a stub shaft 51 upstanding from the upper end of the pedestal 11, is segmental gear 52, the segment of which is indicated by the numeral rlhe teeth of the gear 52 are in mesh with the teeth 54 of a rack 55 slidably supported by one of the guides 50 and another guise 56 which latter guide is mounted upon a pedestal 57 also upstanding from the base 10. The rack is formed in its end which is located next adjacent the respective end wall of the casing 1, with a socket 57 into which is threaded one end of a connecting rod 58 which extends to and is operatively connected with the switch point (not shown). Studs 59 are tixedly mounted upon the upper side of the segmental gear 52 and are located at diametrically opposite points thereon. An arm 60 is pivotally connected at one end, as at 61, to the upper side of theslide block 48 and'extends over the upper side of the segmental `gear 52 and between the studs 59 thereon, the said arm having limited swingingmovement over the face of the gear as will be presently eX- plained. Thel free end of the arm or, in other words, that end which overlies the gear 52. is provided at its opposite sides with substantially hook shaped fingers 62 which extend laterally outwardly and are curved somewhat in the direction of the pivoted end of the arm. Springs 63 are connected to ai stud 64 upon the upper side of the armv 60 and to individual ones of the studs 59, and by reference to Figure 1 of the drawings, it will be observed that in the position occupied by the parts, as` illustrated in said figure, one of the studs 59 is in engagement in the the concavity of the respective finger 62 of the arm 60 and the spring connected to this stud is under tension whereas the spring which is connected to the other stud is not tensioned, this latter stud being, at such time, relatively remote from the respective finger 62. lt will also be understood at this point,v that when the motor is energized and the sleeve 29 is shifted toward the left 'ii Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, a pull will be exerted upon the arm 60, through the shifting movement of the slide block 48, and, through the engagement of one of the fingers 62 of the arm with the respective stud 59, the segmental gear 52 will be rotated a part of revolution, thereby effecting shifting` movement of the rack 55 and a corresponding movement of the connecting rod 58 so as to throw the switch point to one position of its adjustrment. Means, to be hereinafter described,

is provided for automatically breaking the motor circuit substantially at the moment the switch point reaches its position of adjustment. and at such time the spring 36 will act to return the sleeve 29 to its original position, the weights 53 being no longer subjected to centrifugal force and the slide block 48 will, through the shifting of the said sleeve 29, be shifted to move the arm 60 toward the right in Figures l and 3. In the rotative movement of the segmental gear 52, just described, the spring which is illustrated as under tension in Figure l, will be relieved of tension, gradually, and the other spring will be gradually tensioned so that Substantially at the moment the gear 52 ceases to be rotated through the previously described shifting movement of the arm 60, the tensioning of the last mentioned spring will result in the arm 60 being overthrown to bring its other linger 62 into position to receive the respective stud 59. Any subsequent energization of the motor 9 will, therefore, effect a shifting of the arm 60 in the same direction as previously7 noted, except that under these conditions the gear 52 will be rotated inthe opposite direction so as oppositely to swing the switch point to its other position of adjustment. Of course, so long as there is no energization of the mot-.or 9, the switch point will remain in one position of adjustment.

The casing containing the mechanism is designed to be embedded in the roadbed upon which the railway tracks are laid and in proper juxtaposition to the switch point, and the supply of current to the motor is controlled through the medium of a control panel which is'disclosed in my co-pending application iled July 27, 1923` Serial Number 654,223, and also through the medium of a selector switch which will presently be described and which is indicated in general in the drawings by the numeral 65.

Aspreviously explained, one of the disadvantages presented by switch operating mechanisms of this general class is that in their operation they throw the switch point with considerable force so that the point is liable to rebound from its position of adjustment, and, likewise, in inclement weather, water, slush, and mud are liable to be thrown into the air, and with the object in view of overcoming these disadvantages, the present invention seeks toprovide means which will now be described. A shaft 66 is rotatably mounted in a'bearing upon the pedestal, and a pinion 67 is` y provided upon one end of the said shaft and meshes with racks 66 upon the under side of the rack provision being thusmade for rotation of the shaft 66 upon shifting movement of the said racks. A gear 69 is fixed upon the other end of the said shaft 66 and meshes 'with a pinion 70 fixed upon a shaft 71 rotatably ournaled in a suitable bearing upon the pedestal 57. The pinion 70 is located at one end of the shaft 7l, and mounted upon the other end of thesaid shaft is an inertia wheel which is indicated in general by the numeral 72 and which comprises a wheellike body 73 possessing sutiicient mass to serve its purpose which will presently be explained. The body Z3 is provided with a number of radial bores 74 and with a central opening y75 which accommodates the shaft 7l, the body being rotatable about the shaft and thc inner ends of the bores communicating with the said opening 75 at the surface of the shaft. Arranged within each bore 74 is a friction plug 76 having its inner end formed concave, as indicated by the numeral 77, so as to firmly embrace the said shaft 75, this end of each plug resting snugly in engagement with the surface of the shaft. A plug 78 is threaded into the outer end of each bore 74, and a spring 79 is arranged within each bore and bears at one end against the outer end of the respective plugs 76 and at its other end against the plugs 7S. The springs 79 possess sufficient strength to so firmly hold the plugs rv76 in contact with the surface of the'sha'ft 75 as to clutch the bodyj of the inertia wheel with the shaft.

Yinasmuch as therack member 55 is shifted between its guides 50 and 56, when the inotor is energized and the mechanism is set in operation, to correspondingly shift the switch point, rotation will be imparted to the shaft 7l at a relatively high rate of speed and the inertia wheel 72 will rotate with the said shaft 7l. However, substantially at the moment when the motor circuit is broken, the rack member will ,be moved when likewise at this moment the switch point will have reached its position of adjustment. lnasmuch as the mechanism operates only by overcoming the inertia of the wheel 72, it is obvious that the' said wheel constitutes a means for retarding the movement of the parts of the mechanism so that the switch point will not be suddenly and forcibly7 thrown one position or another of its adjustment. When the switch point has reached its position ofadjustment and the mechanism has ceased to function as above stated, the wheel 72 will continue to rotate for one or more revolutions, thereby oiicring resistance to any rebounding motion of the switch point, the wheel acting in this manner and for the purpose stated for a sufficient period oftime to overcome any rebounding of the switch point which would otherwise occur as a result of the impact of the point against the wall of the wheel sloty in the track rails.

conductor wire 80 lea-:ls from an inipulse'l'relay which constitutes a 'part of the control panel of my co-pending application hereinbefore identified, to the motor 9, whereby to supply current thereto under proper conditions, and a wire 81 leads from the motor to one contact 82 ot a time limit switch 83 mounted within the compartment 7 and constituting, likewise, a part of the circuit in which the control panel is located.

contact 82 is mounted upon an insulating base 8e, and pivotally mounted upon this base a movable contact 85 which at one side of its pirot exten-ds toward and overlies the contact 82, this portion. or blade of the said contact resting by gravity in engagement with the contact 82 and the said contact 85 being provided at the other side of its pivot with depending abutment portion adapted toA be engaged by one end of a. rod 87 under conditions to be presently eX- plained. As indicated by the numeral 88 the contact is grounded.

The rod 87 is slidably litted through an opening 89 provided in the partition wall 6. and there is provided upon this wall and in the opening, a packing gland 9.0 through which the rod likewise extends, the rod passing also through a small housing upon the said wall 6 and having secured noon it, within the housing, an abutment collar or pin, or other element 92 against which bears one end of a compression spring 93, the other end of the spring bearing against th said wall 6. Th@J tendency of the spring 93 is to urge the rod 87 in a direction away from the switch contact 85, and means is provided for shifting the rod in the opposite direction againstthe tension of the spring to effect tilting of the Contact 85 whereby7 to break the contact between it and the contact 82 and thus break the motor 'circuit. The said means comprises a shaft 94e which is rotatably journaled in a suitable bearing 95 lined upon the outer side of one of the pedestals 12. A worm pinion 9.6 is fixed upon one end of the said shaft 94: and meshes with a worm 97 formed upon the shaft 18 so that when rotary motion is imparted to said shaft 13, the shaft 911 will be likewise rotated at a relatively low rate of speed. A pinion 98 is fixed upon the other end of the shaft 9-l and meshes with a gear 99 threaded or otherwise liXed upon one end of a sleeve or hub 100, which is, in turn, rotatably mounted upon a stub shaft 101 supported by an extension 102 of the brackA et 95. ltotatably mounted upon the hub and maintained in place by a flange 103 at the outer end of the said hub, is a disc 10d-'between which and the face of the gear 99, is interposed a friction disc 105, the friction disc having a central opening 106 adapting it to rotatably fit the said sleeve or hub 1.00. Pins 107 project from the face of the disc 10a in the direction of the gear 99 and into openings 108 in the friction disc 1.05 and thereby yielda'bly hold the disc in position with its other face frictionally binding against the adjacent .face of the gea-r 99. The stub shaft 101 is provided in its outer end with a collar 111 which engages in the flanged outer end of the sleeve or hub 100 and holds the parts in their assembled relationship. The disc 104 is provided at a point in its periphery with a recess 1.12 providing a shoulder 118, and a lining 114 of a wear-resisting metal is preferably arranged in the recess and extends over the wall and shoulder 113 thereJ of. The numeral 115 indicates a bracket which is secured to the sides of the slide block i8 and is consequently movable with the said block, and this bracket is formed near its outer end with a perpendicular slot 116 through which the rear portion of the rod 87 is freely engaged', the rod being pro vided at a suitable point in its length with an offsetbend 117, as cle-arly shown in .Figure 2, and which serves a purpose tov be presently explained.

The numerals 118v and 119V indicate conductor wires which lead from the contacts of a selecting relay which constitutes aY part of the control panel of my co-pending applic-ation, and these wiresareconnected to fixed contacts 120 and 121 constituting a part of the selecting switch 615. Aconductor wire 122 extends from a bracket 123, also constituting a part of the switch 6,5, to a safety relay which constitutes a part of the control panel of my said co-pending application. A switch blade 124 is mounted upon the bracket 123, and a rod 125 is pivotally connected to the said blade and eX tends through the partition wall 6 and is connected at' its other end, as at 126, to a bracket 127 mounted upon the rack meinber 55. By reason of this connection, the switch blad-e 124i will be shift-ed from one to another of the contacts 120 and 121 of the selector switch 65, in the shifting of the rack member- 55 and, consequently7 in the throwing of the switch point from one position of adjustment to the other. Therefore, when the switch point is in one position of its adjustment, the switch blade 124 will be in engagement with the contact 120 and when the switch point is in the other position of adjustment, the said switch blade will be in contact with the contact 121, and it is the position of the switch blade which determines whether or not th-e circuit will be closed tothe motor 9 when a car approaches the switch in the track with the controller lever on or olf, it being suflicient to state that the control panel is so constructed and wired Jchat a motorman by throwing his control lever on or olf while the trolley wheel of hiscar is passing over an overhead contact forming the subject matter of my co-pending application for overlieael contacts for electric railway switch circuits, filed February 15, 1924, Serial No. 693,251, may be assured `that the switch point will be in proper position when his car passes over the switch and regard-.

less of the position it might have previously assumed.

Assuming that the parts are in the relative positions shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, and that the switch point is in such position that it requires to be thrown to the other position to permit of passage of a car over the switch .and onto the main track or onto the curve, as the case may be, the motorman will properly adjust his control lever as he approaches the switch, and as the trolley wheel passes Y over the overhead Contact 'heretofore referred to, the motor circuit will be closed, as the contact member 85 of the switch 83 will then be incontact with the contact 82 of said switch and the rod 87 will be retracted with its end which is beyond the offset 117 therein, resting upon the periphery of the disc 104 above the recess 112 and adjacent the shoulder 113. Through energization of the motor, rotary motion will be imparted to the shaft 13 through the system 0f reducing gearing comprising the gears 18, 20, 21 and 22. Through rotation of the shaft 13 andthe centrifugal force to which the weights S5-are subjected, the arms 33 will be swung outwardly, thereby rotating the gear segments 34 and effecting longitudinal shifting of the sleeve 29 by reason of the engagement of these gear segments with the racks 30 vupon said sleeve. The shifting movement of the sleeve will, of course, be a'gainst the tension of the spring 36 and in the directionof the motor and will effect a corresponding shifting movement of the slide block 48. The. member 60 will be likewise shifted in a corresponding direction and because of the engagement of one of the lingers 62 with lone ofthe studs or pins 59 upon the segmental gear 52, the said gear'will be rotated and through the meshing of its teeth with the teeth 54 of the rack member 55, the said rack member will be likewise shifted in the direction in which the other parts referred to are shifted. This shifting of the rack member 55 results, of course, in a corresponding shifting of the connecting rod 58 and a throwing of the switch point to the proper position of adjustment. As this operation takes place, or more specifically, at the moment the motor is energized, rotary-motion will be imparted, through the medium of the teeth of the rack member 55, VtoV the pinion 67 and shaft 66, resulting in a rotation of the gear 69 and a relatively rapid rotation of the pinion '70 and shaft 71 upon which it is mounted. In the rotation of the shaft 71, the inertia of the inertia wheel 72 will be overcome through the frictional engagement of the friction elements 76 with the surface of the said shaft and, as the mechanism continues to operate, the said wheel will rotate in unison with the shaft. During the cycle of operation rotary motion lwill be imparted from the shaft 13 to the shaft v94, to the pinion 98, gear 99, and sleeve shaft 100. Through the medium of the friction disc 105,V and the positiveconnection, through the medium of the pins 107, of this disc with the disc 104, the inertia of said disc104 will be overcome and the disc will be rotated with the sleeve shaft 100. The gearing by means of which this rotary motion of the disc 104 is effected, is so proportioned that theedisc will rotate relatively slowly. As heretofore stated, the offset end kof the rod-87 rests above the periphery of the disc 104, and as the slide blocks 48 is shifted and the bracket 115 is likewise shifted and passes the offset 117, kthe said end of the rod will be permitted to rest in engagement with the periphery of the said disc 104 and, when the disc has made one complete revolution, which will be approximately at the time 4at which the switch point has been moved to its proper position` of adjustment, the shoulder 113 will engage the said end of the rod 87 and exert a longitudinal thrust upon rod to cause its opposite end to press against the finger 86 of the contact 85 and elevate thek contact to break the motor circuit, thus ar resting the rotation of the shaft 13.. This movement of the rod 87 is against the tension of the spring 93..v Inasmuch as the disc 104 is only frictionally held for rotation with the gear 99, the gear may continue to rotate a greater or less distance without carrying with it the said disc 104, the shoulder 113 being at that time in engagement with the end of the rod l87 as above stated. In the meantime, the.` shifting of the rack member 55 has eected a shifting of the rod 125 so` as to throw the switch blade from the position which it previously occupied to its yother position. as, for eX- ample, from engagement Vwith .the contact 121 into engagement with the contact 120. As the cycle of operation is completed and the shaft 71 ceases to rotate, the inertia wheel 72, by the momentumvwhich has been imparted thereto, will'- continueto rotate for one or more revolutions and inasmuch as in its direction of rotation it influences or tends to influence movement of the rack member 55 in the direction inwhich it has been shifted in the cycle of operation of the mechanism, there can be no rebound of the switch point and, therefore, the point will always be safely and securely set. Liliewis'e, as previously pointed out, as it -is necessary to overcome the inertia of the wheel 72 in the shifting of the rack member 55, to which tlre switch point connecting rod 58 is attached, the movement of the rack will be sufficiently retarded to insure of a relatively gradual movement of the switch point to its proper position of adjustment. As before stated, the shifting movement of the sleeve 29, in the operation just described, has been' against the tension of the spring 3G so that this spring is under compression at the time the motor circuit is broken. However, when the motor ceases to function, the weights 35 will no longer be sub-A jected to centrifugal force and the spring will, therefore, act to shift the sleeve 29 in the opposite direction or, in other words, to the position which it normally occupies, the-arms 33 being, at this time, returned to their normal posit-ions as shown in Figure 1, and the slide block 48 being likewise shifted in a direction opposite to that in which it was previously shifted, as well as the arm '60. As the arm 60 is thus returned to its normal position, the spring 63 which has previously been relieved of tension, is gradually tensioned until it iinally exerts -a pull upon the arm sufficient to overthrow the arm into position for the engagement of its other finger 62 with the other pin or stud v59 to which the last mentioned spring is connected. Therefore, upon any subsequent energization of the motor 9, a shifting of the arm 60 in the first described vdirection will result in a rotation of the segmental gear 52 in a direction the opposite of that in which it was iirst rotated, and under theseconditions the rack member 55 will be shifted in a correspondingly opposite Ydirection to effect throwing of the switch point to its other position of adjustment.-

Upon the return movement of the slide block 48, the lower wall ofthe slot` 116 in the bracket 115 will ride beneath theroifset 117 in the rod 87 and lift 'the end of the rod out of the recess'112 and from engagement with the shoulder 118, the *spring 93 then acting to `shift the rod 87 longitudinally to project its said end beyond the shoulderand inposition overlying the `periphery ofthe disc 104.

Having thus what I claim is: i

1. In switch 'operating' mechanism of the class described, aprirne mover, a shiftable described the invention,

G0' member, a switch connecting rod connected thereto and actuated thereby to effect adjustment of the switch, operative connection between the prime mover and the shiftable member for imparting motion Lto the latter, and inertia means operable to re- F tard the movement of the shiftable member.

Leesis 2. in switch koperating mechanism of the class described, a prime mover, a shiftable member, a switch connecting rod connected thereto and actuated thereby to effect adjustment of the switch, operative connection between the prime mover and the sliiftable member for imparting motion to the latter, and means operable to retard the movement of the shiftable member, the said means including -a shaft rotatable through shifting of the shiftable member, and an inertia wheel upon the shaft. Y v

3. ln switch operating mechanism of the class described, a prime mover, a shiftable member, a switch connecting rod connected thereto and -actuated thereby to effect adjustment of the switch, operative connection between the prime mover and the shiftable member Yfor imparting motion to the latter, and means operable to retard the movement of the shiftable member, the said means comprising a shaft, operative connection between the said shaft and shiftable member for effecting rotation ofthe shaft upon movement of the shiftable member, -aln inertia wheel fitted to said shaft, and means frictionally yclutching the inertia wheel with the shaft. Y i

a. ln a switch operating mechanism olf the class described, a prime mover, a shiftable member, a switch connecting rod connected thereto and actuated thereby to Veffect adjustment of the switch, operative con-nection between the prime mover and the shiftable member for Vimparting mot-ionto the latter, and means operable to retard the movement of 'the shift-able member, the said means comprising a shaft, operative connection between the said sha-ft and shiftable .member for effecting rotation of the shaft Vupon movement of the shifta-ble member, Aan inertia wheel fitted to said shaft, and means frictionally clutching the inertia wheel with the shaft, said last mentioned mea-nscomprising 1afriction elei'nent mounted fin the said inertia wheel and having a concave bearing face frictionally engaging 'the snrface ofthe shaft, and means yieldably'holding the said friction element in engagement with the shaft- 5. 1n switch operating mechanism of theclass described, Aa prime fmover, a `shiftab'le member, a switch 'connecting rod connected thereto and actuated thereby lto effect adjustment of the switch, voperative connection between the prime mover and the sliiftable member for imparting motionto the latter, and means operable to retard the movement of the shift-able member, the said lmeans comprising a shaft, operative connection loe-Y tween Ythe shafts-nd the shiftable member for effecting rotation `of the sha-ftY ulpoii movement of the shiftablemember, lan inertia wheel `fitted to the shaft and having -aV plurality-of radial bores, friction `elements l il) meissie Seated in the saidbores and having concave friction faces engaging the surface of the shaft, and compression springsI within the bores engaging the friction elements and holding the same in frictional engagement with the said shaft.

6. In switch operating mechanism of the class described, a rotatable shaft, a prime mover, operative connection between the shaft and the prime mover, a member iiXed upon the shaft,A a sleeve slidable upon the shaft, centrifugal means upon the fixed member operatively coacting with the said sleeve to shift the latter upon rotation of the shaft, a shiftable member having a rack, a rotatable segmental gear meshing with the rack, a switch connecting rod connected with the shiftable member, a pivoted arm, operative connection between the said sleeve and the arm for shifting` the arm upon shift-ing of the sleeve, the arm having fingers at its free end, pins upon the segmental gear engageable by the fingers alternately in successive cycles of operation of the mechanism, and springs connected to the said arm and to respective ones ofthe pins.

7. In switch operating mechanism of the class described, a rotatable shaft, a prime mover, operative connection between the shaft and the prime mover, a member fixed upon the shaft, a sleeve slidable upon the shaft, centrifugal means upon the fixed member operatively coacting with the said means for shifting the latter in one direc-- tion upon rotation of the shaft, means urging the sleeve in the opposite direction, a slide block, operative connection between the sleeve and the slide block, a shiftable member, a switch connecting rod connected with the shiftable member, a rotatable segmental gear, racks keyed upon the shiftable member meshing with the said gear, oppositely located pins upon the gear, an arm pivoted upon the slide block and extending over the gear between the pins and having fingers for engagement with respective ones of the pins, and springs connected to the said pins and to the said arm.

8. In switch operating mechanism of the class described, an electric moto-r, a shaft driven therefrom, a sleeve slidable upon. the shaft, centrifugal means rotatable with the shaft and coacting with the sleeve to shift the latter in one direction upon rotation of the shaft, a shiftable member, operative connection therebetween and said sleeve, a connectnig` switch rod connected with the said shiftable member, a switch in the circuit for the mot-or including' an element movable to bre-ak the circuit, and means operating to automaticallyv break the circuit upon completion of a cycle of ope-ration of the mechanism comprising a shiftable rod engaging at one end the said switch element, means urging the rod for movement in the direction of its other end, a rote'. disc'driven from the said shaft, la "i mentioned end of the said rod resting` in engagement with the periphery of the said disc, and an abutment upon the said periphery of vthe disc for engagement a the said last mentioned end of thel rod to shift the rod in the rotationof the disc through one r volution.

9. ln switch operating mechanism of the class described, an electric` motor, a shaft driven therefrom, a sleeve slidable upon the shaft., centrifugal means rotatable with the shaft and coacting with the sleeve to shift the latter in one direction upon rotation of the shaft, a shiftable member, opera-Jive connection therebetween and said sleeve, a connecting switch rod connected with the. said shiftable member, a switch in the circuit for the motor including an element movable to bre-ak the circuit, and means operating' to automatically break t-he circuit upon a conipletion of a cycle of operation of the mechanism comprising shiftably supported rod engaging at one end against the said switch clement., a. spring urging the rod formovement in the direction of its other end, a trip disc rotatedthrough the medium of the said shaft and having a notch in its periphery providing a shoulder, the last mentioned end of the, said rod resting in engagement with the periphery of the disc and being enga-geoble by the said shoulder in the rotation of the disc thro-ugh one revolution against the tension of the said spring, whereby to move the switch element to break the motor circuit, and means operable automatically to elevate said last mentioned end of the rod from the notch and from engagement with said shoulder.

l0. In switch operating mechanism of the class described, an electric motor, ay shaft driven therefrom, a sleeve slidable upon the shaft, centrifugal means rotatable withthe shaft and coacting with the sleeve to shiftl the latter in one direction upon rotation of the shaft, a shiftablemember, operative connection therebetween and said sleeve, Va connecting switch rod connected with the said shiftable member, a switch in the circuit for the motor including an element movable to break the circuit, and means operating automatically to break the circuit upon completion of a cycle of operation of the mechanism comprising a rotary gear, operative gear connection between the same and the said shaft, a rotatable trip disc aXia-lly alined with the gear, a friction disc interposed between the gear and the trip disc and clutching the trip disc for rotation with the gear, a rod shiftably mounted with one end in position for coaction with the said element of the switch when the rod is shifted in one direction, a spring yieldably urging the rod in the opposite direction, the other endl of the Too overlying the periphery of the trip disc intl the said periplieiy of the said disc being formed with a notch providing e. Shoulder to engage against the last mentioneclL encl of the rod in the rotation of the disc whereby to Shift tlie rod to aotuate theI switch element and break the motor oiiouit, and means operable to automatically elevate the said last mentioned end of rthe rod to clisengage the seme from the Shoulder and permit the spring to act to shift the: tod to normal po- Sitio-n.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

GHARLES e. EPPLEY. [L Sg 

